Monday, March 25, 2013

Queen Carly gave this book to The Captain who gave it to me... and I don't think I would have read this book on my own otherwise. Once I got used to the shifting first person perspectives and figured out who was who, I got into the story... and then it just got weird. I'm not really sure what the point was. If you're into sci-fi dystopian stories without a climax or motive, this might be the book for you.

Synopsis: In the near future bees are extinct — until one autumn when five people are stung in different places around the world. This shared experience unites them in a way they never could have imagined.

Generation A mirrors 1991’s Generation X. It explores new ways of looking at the act of reading and storytelling in a digital world.

Recommended Reading:
Player One by Douglas Coupland
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk
Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland
Point Omega by Don DeLillo

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

It took a little bit for this story to warm up, but I was drawn to the characters right away. Once the author settled into the story and format the story went quickly. The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly, not enough drama or backstory to round out the ending completely, but it wasn't a bad ending. This was a quick but heavy read. Definitely one that entertained and left an impression.

Synopsis: Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.

As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.

Recommended Reading:
The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe
Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Of the three books, this was by far my favorite. This had the dark psychological twists that I would expect from such a plot line. This one had characters that truly evolved. And honestly, I adore an author who is not afraid to sacrifice characters. The series finished up beyond my expectations.

Synopsis: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

Friday, March 1, 2013

I seem to be over the reading slump I was in. In January I finished up a few books I had been reading since... well, before Thanksgiving. Then I decided that reading The Hunger Games Series would be exactly what I needed to get things moving off my TBR shelf. I wasn't wrong! It was also kind of fun to read something that The Spawn had read and spend our daily commute talking about. We even had a mom-son movie night so I could see the movie!

I didn't quite hold up to my end of the deal about not adding to my TBR shelf. Not only did I get a stack of books from my paperbackswap wishlist, but I bought two ebooks and a friend sent me another book. *sigh* at some point I will find my willpower.

Other news and trivia: I survived my 31st birthday. Okay, so my age is really more like two 18 year olds. I say I'm 31 and most people say "I would have said you were younger than that." I'm pretty sure they're talking about my maturity level and I'm wishing they were talking about how well I'm aging.

I've been obsessed with two websites lately:Crunchy BettyOne Good Thing
I find myself more and more wanting to get away from toxins, food dyes and preservatives, and get more into the natural way of things. And then I remember my love of Cherry Coke and Ramen noodles. And I have blue hair! [best.transition.ever.] They're extensions, but they are blue and super fun. I adore them.

About the Author

I'm a (struggling) bookworm. I love to cook. I love music. I have two great kids. I'm an engineer, newspaper columnist, and soapmaker. I'm addicted to Pinterest and buying books. I love abandoned houses.